Football writer Alex Keble analyses the 1-1 draw between Arsenal and Manchester City on Sunday.
Gabriel Martinelli’s stoppage-time equaliser had all the hallmarks of a significant moment in the title race, yet despite Arsenal supporters cherishing a hard-won point, the real winners at Emirates Stadium are the champions and league leaders Liverpool.
When all is said and done, neither Arsenal nor Manchester City have made ideal starts. The Gunners have taken just one point from six against their immediate rivals.
Man City, meanwhile, have won seven points from their opening five Premier League matches, their worst return since 2006/07.
But it was nearly so much better for the visitors.
Pep Guardiola surprised everyone by going full Jose Mourinho, defending deep, counter-attacking where possible, and slowing the game down.
Haaland's goal v Arsenal
Six goals in five @premierleague appearances for @ErlingHaaland 🤯 pic.twitter.com/W5CmD2GujW
— Manchester City (@ManCity) September 21, 2025
It almost worked, until Martinelli looped the ball over Gianluigi Donnarumma and the whole narrative was rewritten, from Mikel Arteta’s early caution to Guardiola’s decision to go ultra-defensive for the final 20 minutes.
Martinelli's goal v Man City
Avoiding defeat a huge moment for Arsenal
Arsenal simply could not afford to lose this match, not after falling 1-0 at Anfield already this season.
For that reason Arteta, so early in the campaign, will be pleased with a point and will pay little attention to the Premier League table.
Supporters will struggle to be so disciplined. Liverpool have a 100 per cent record and are already five points ahead of their two main challengers, and with Chelsea having also dropped points this weekend, the chances of Arne Slot’s side retaining their crown have just gone up.
Man City came so close to making this a perfect week of three straight wins and no goals conceded, a record that would have built confidence and momentum for the challenge ahead.
Instead, their record of two wins from five in the Premier League is their worst start for 20 years.
Meanwhile Arsenal have taken just one points from a possible six against their two principle challengers, suggesting the progress promised has not yet come to fruition.
On the other hand, late levellers often feel like wins, and Arsenal, second in the table, can look ahead with confidence. The outlook would have been far more pessimistic had they lost today.
Guardiola channels his inner Mourinho
Why were Man City so defensive?
Maybe Guardiola had noticed just how difficult Arsenal have found breaking down a stubborn low block, or maybe he was fearful of a repeat of the 5-1 defeat at the Emirates last season.
Just maybe he decided to follow the advice of all those Arsenal supporters at full-time in April – and be humble.
Alternatively, Guardiola simply felt his team could not cope with the tight turnaround from Thursday night against Napoli in the UEFA Champions League.
“They [Arsenal] were better - and we were incredibly tired,” was his analysis, on Sky Sports, of why his team looked as they did.
“We try to not be like this,” he said. “But when the opponent is better, and we defend deeper, we will counter. But we try not to play like this.”
Man City were more defensive than arguably any game in his managerial history, sitting in a low block, relying on breaks via Erling Haaland and Jeremy Doku, and even switching to a back five for the final 20 minutes.
It was pure Mourinho, as is reflected not just in the statistics, but also in the team's shape on the pitch.
As shown in the graphics below, last season's 5-1 defeat to Arsenal featured a more expansive and front-foot Man City set up, a sharp contrast to the dramatically deeper and defensive shape seen on Sunday.
City held 32 per cent possession, their lowest ever share by a Guardiola team in 601 top-flight league matches, and had just eight touches in the opposition penalty, their fewest ever in the Premier League under Guardiola (327 games).
Guardiola will be disappointed that the system, working well, was suddenly abandoned in the dying minutes of this match.
Only once did Man City push high, rather than drop, and that was the moment Eberechi Eze lifted the ball over the top for Martinelli to score.
It takes huge mental energy to stay defensive, to stay humble, right to the final whistle. If City could have just dropped off by five yards they would have secured a huge win.
Arteta’s substitutes snatch a point as Eze shows he can fill Odegaard role
Arteta might be criticised for not playing a more proactive team from the off, and certainly he will come under fire for this after the conservatism shown in a 1-0 defeat at Anfield.
But the Arsenal manager was right to be cautious of Man City’s newfound direct football, and therefore right to play a more robust central midfield three.
What’s more, he adapted relatively quickly to falling a goal behind, making the bold call to bring on Eze for Mikel Merino at half-time.
And Eze’s wonderful assist, as well as Martinelli’s finish, was the best evidence yet of how Arsenal’s deeper bench could take them a step further in their quest.
Last year Arsenal did not have anyone to replace Martin Odegaard’s creativity.
It is unlikely the Gunners could have broken through a Man City 5-4-1 in 2024/25, whereas now they have the talent to come on and make the difference.
Whether it will be enough to catch Liverpool – whose own bench included Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz against Everton on Saturday – is another question.
For all the drama and the noise, at the end of the day Arsenal and Man City dropped points - and lost ground on the champions.